Delicious and nourishing food for those with motor neurone disease

Motor neurone disease (where bulbar involvement is present) can affect speech, swallowing, movement and breathing, which can lead to malnutrition and weight loss. Maintaining adequate nutritional intake requires people with motor neurone disease to consume foods that have been textually modified (into a puree), using supporting equipment (supportive braces, bowls and utensils) and increasing their […]
Q&A: How to reduce weight loss in people with dementia

In this Q&A, our expert dietitian, Kaye Dennison (NZRD), answers an important question about reducing weight loss in those living with dementia. “I am caring for my wife who has dementia, occasionally some swallowing problems and is losing weight. What are some easy ideas to help stop her losing more weight?” Here is Kaye’s response: […]
Key micronutrients that nourish older people

We know that protein and energy are the two key nutrients that help keep our residents active and independent. But there’s a lot more than just those two nutrients that help keep aged care residents fit and well. There’s a whole range of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients that work together to keep everyone in […]
Q&A: My husband has a swallowing problem and regularly enjoys Pure Foods. I generally eat much the same as him, do I need to do anything extra for myself in regards to fibre?

It is great to hear that you and your husband are coping well with a pureed diet and fantastic to see the importance you place on social eating. There are two types of dietary fibre; insoluble and soluble fibre. Insoluble Fibre Insoluble fibre (“roughage”) does not dissolve in water and acts as a bulking agent […]
Protein and energy: 2 key nutrients that nourish residents and keep them active & independent

What do you love doing? It might be catching up with close friends, cooking a delicious meal, gardening, playing your favourite sport or planning your next holiday. What if you didn’t have the strength and energy to get up and go do the things you love everyday? This is quite often the case for aged […]
Q&A: I am 81yrs old and enjoy gardening but I have a problem with skin cuts & scratches taking a while to heal. What foods will help me with wound healing?

Thanks for your question, it’s great to hear you are keeping active in the outdoors by doing exercise around something you enjoy! From my experience working in the community with Wound Care Nurse Specialists, quite often older people are unaware they need to increase their daily protein and energy intake to support their wound healing. […]
Evidence to show fortified foods are cost effective and feasible

As health care professionals, having some hard evidence behind what we advise is key. In previous blogs we looked at how poor nutrition is associated with greater risk of pressure injuries, infections, poor recovery and increased length of hospital stay. Oral nutritional supplements (sip feeds) are frequently used in cases of poor nutrition, and certainly […]
Delicious and nourishing food for those who have suffered a stroke

According to the stroke foundation, a stroke (or cerebrovascular accident – CVA for short) is the loss of brain function caused by disturbance of the blood flow to the brain. After a stroke, it is common to experience difficulty in eating. These difficulties can be for a number reasons such as: difficulties in chewing and […]
Q&A: “My grandma is taking warfarin (blood thinner), do you know what foods she can and can’t eat?”

This is a question I was frequently asked as a community dietitian. There is an urban myth that when someone is prescribed warfarin they need to cut out all all green vegetables which is not true. Warfarin (blood thinner) For anyone taking warfarin it’s important they continue to enjoy the foods they are used to […]
How to prevent the risk of falls from dehydration

As we make our way through April and start to readjust our body clocks, we should take the time to recognise that this new month comes “April falls.” A campaign aimed to recognise and attempt to reduce harm from falls for the month of April. The theme for this year’s campaign is “live stronger for […]